Shredder-feeder.



J. B. SGHUMAN.

SHRBDDER FEEDER. 111131101111011 FILED PEB. 11, 1907.

Patented 001'.. 27', 1908.

gvwnfoz @Magik/Schuman rus Nonms Farsns co4, WASHINGTON, n. c.'

- senting the stalks to the snapping ro Unirnn srkrns PATENT onrion.

JAMES B. SGHUMAN, OF; INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO SAID JAMES B. SCIIUMAN, JOSEPH K. SHARPE, JR., AND THEOPIIILUS KING, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A COPART- NERSIIIP.

Application filed February 11, 1907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES B. SoHUMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shredder-Feeders,

Y' of which the following is a specification.

In the operation of Shredders and other similar stalk crop treating machines, difficulty is experienced in that the stalks be come clogged on the feed table immediately in front of the snapping rolls, and it is the object of my present invention to provide means for preventing this clogging by so prells that they will necessarily be caught by and carried through between the snapping rolls.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 is a central vertical section of a common shredder equipped with my improvement; Fig. 2 a plan thereof; Fig. 3 a perspective detail of my additional feeding means, and Fig. 4 a perspective detail of said feeding means.

In the drawings 10 indicates the main frame, 11 11 the snapping rolls, and 12 12 the usual endless feed belts of the feeder said feed belts being preferably slightly separated longitudinally and passing over stationary platforms 13, and discharging at a point adjacent the throat of the snapping rolls 11. There is a considerable gap or throat 14 between the inner end of the feed belts and the snapping rolls in order that the ears of corn may drop down from the snapping rolls onto an apron 15 which delivers said ears to the husking mechanism 16.

In the ordinary feeding of the shredder of this type the stalks are laid lengthwise upon the carriers 18 butt-end foremost so that their butt-ends will be caught between the snapping rolls 11 and drawn through between said rolls, the ears being snapped off and passing downward through the throat 14. Many times the stalks become twisted and turned on the carriers 12 and, in order that such stalks may not drop through the throat 14 it has been heretofore customary to bridge the throat 14 by means of separated fingers, said fingers generally extending only from the inner end ofthe endless carrier to a point closely adjacent the throat of the snapping rolls. In my present form I deem it advisable to bridge the throat 14 by means l ed to carry material toward said snapping 110 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oct. 27, isos.

Serial No. 356,889.

of fingers 17 which however I prefer to carry back between the adjacent edges of the feed belts 12 in order to form a housing for a reciprocating plunger 18. rlhe finger 17 may be conveniently formed of sheet metal so as to form a housing for the plunger 18, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4, said fingers being attached to a guide 19 provided with a suitable track 2() in which the plunger 18 fits so as to slide easily longitudinally.

rlhe forward ends of the fingers 17 are preferably reduced in vertical dimension as at 17 so that the forward ends of the plungers 18 will roject therefrom and readily engage the stal is as they pass along the fingers 17 to the snapping rolls. I provide a plurality of fingers 17 and plungers 18, the number de pending upon the width of the machine and I deem it advisable to operate them successively instead of simultaneously in order to distribute the load. For this purpose I provide a crank shaft 25 journaled in suitable bearings in the main frame 10 and provided with a multiplicity of cranks 26 each of which is connected by suitable pitman 27 with one of the plungers 18. Shaft 25 may be rotated in any suitable manner, as by means of pulley 28 and belt 29 from a moving part of the shredder.

In operation the stalks are thrown upon the feed belts 12 and moved forward thereby to the snapping rolls. If the snapping rolls fail to catch any of the stalks said stalks will become twisted upon the table and will drop in front ofthe rapidly reciprocating plungers 18 and said plungers will serve to positively crowd the stalks into the throat between the snapping rollers so that said rollers cannot fail to pinch the stalks and carry them forward.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a shredder, the combination, with the snapping rolls, of a plurality of endless carriers arranged side by side, a plurality of reciprocating plungers said carriers and bridging the space between the inner end of said carriers and the throat of the snapping rolls, housings arranged over said plungers and extending forward to bridge the space between the carriers and the 105 sna ping ro ls, and means for reciprocating sai plungers.

2. In a shredder, the combination, with the snapping rolls thereof, of a feeder adaptarranged between 100 rolls, a throat being left between said feeding means and the snapping-rolI-throat, reciprocating plungers arranged in said first mentioned throat, means for reciprocating said f= plungers toward and from the snapping-ro11- In witness whereof, I have hereunto set 1.0

my hand and seal at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 9th day of February, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and seven.

JAMES B. SCHUMAN.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR M. Hoon, THOMAS W. MoMEANs. 

